Dear colleagues and friends,
I am proud to report that the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) has selected Sanford Burnham Prebys as its partner in transforming promising discoveries from the University of Wisconsin-Madison into early-stage drug candidates. Similar to our ongoing collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, the partnership seeks to accelerate the path from “bench to bedside,” leveraging our state-of-the-art Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics (Prebys Center).
Our scientists have also made progress in our mission to find new treatments for human disease, uncovering novel insights that could help infants with a particularly challenging form of brain cancer and men who battle treatment-resistant prostate cancer.
Our annual Rare Disease Day symposium was held in February and focused on rare bone disorders and tumors—conditions that predominately affect children. This successful event, now in its 10th year, tackles unmet medical needs by gathering doctors, scientists, parents and children from around the world to share scientific information, clinical perspectives and promote communication.
We also welcomed two new members to our Board of Trustees, Matt Browne and David L. Szekeres, who each bring valuable expertise from their extensive work in the life science sector. Matt and David are longtime supporters of the Institute—this will be their third year co-chairing our annual Bring It! fundraiser, held this May at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, along with their wives, Juli Oh and Sarah Szekeres.
I hope you enjoy this issue.
Kristiina Vuori, M.D., Ph.D.
President
Pauline and Stanley Foster Presidential Chair
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WARF Therapeutics selects Sanford Burnham Prebys as drug discovery partner
Sanford Burnham Prebys has partnered with WARF Therapeutics, a new program of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) that aims to bring discoveries from the University of Wisconsin-Madison closer to market. Under the terms of the five-year agreement, WARF and University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers will work with scientists at the Institute's Prebys Center to transition clinically relevant targets to early-stage drug discovery—with the goal of developing new medicines for unmet clinical needs.
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Helping infants survive brain cancer
Choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC) is a particularly challenging type of brain cancer. Only 40 percent of children remain alive five years after diagnosis. Progress in developing effective therapies has been hindered by the lack of a relevant disease model. Robert Wechsler-Reya, Ph.D., has developed a mouse model of CPC and has used it to identify potential drugs to treat the disease.
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How prostate cancer becomes treatment resistant
A new study led by Maria Diaz-Meco, Ph.D., and Jorge Moscat, Ph.D., has identified how prostate cancer transforms into a deadly treatment-resistant prostate cancer subtype called neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). The research also suggests that an FDA-approved drug holds promise as an NEPC treatment.
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Families find hope at annual Rare Disease Day symposium
Chaired by Yu Yamaguchi, M.D., Ph.D., this year’s event focused on rare bone disorders and bone cancers, with a special emphasis on a condition called multiple hereditary exostoses (MHE) that causes numerous bone tumors in children. Recent research has led to a clinical trial for a drug called palovarotene, providing hope to the patients and families affected by the disorder.
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Inspiring future scientists at the
San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering
Armed with wiggly worms and striped zebrafish, more than 20 Sanford Burnham Prebys volunteers helped kids learn about the power of DNA at the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering. Children donned lab coats and peered into microscopes to see how DNA can change the form and function of living organisms.
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Student treks to Mount Everest in sister’s honor
Marisa Sanchez, a Ph.D. student in the laboratory of Dieter Wolf, M.D., is trekking to Mount Everest base camp in memory of her sister, Alessandra, who lost her battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 19. Before Marisa left, she shared her story with KUSI.
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Board welcomes two new trustees
Matt Browne (left), a partner in Cooley LLP’s San Diego office; and David L. Szekeres (right), senior vice president, Business Development, and general counsel for Heron Therapeutics, Inc., have been appointed to the the Institute's Board of Trustees.
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A story about groundbreaking Alzheimer's research from Jerold Chun, M.D., Ph.D., aired on TV stations around the country, thanks to coverage by
Ivanhoe. The organization provides reporters with health stories.
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Dr. Diaz-Meco spoke to
Healthline about her and Dr. Moscat's work that revealed how prostate cancer becomes resistant to treatment. This research points the way to new anti-androgen treatments that may make the disease treatable again.
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Science reporter Bradley Fikes profiled a family who attended our Rare Disease Day symposium.
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Our partnership with WARF was covered by
Xconomy, a top innovation-focused publication.
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Groove for a good cause at Bring It!
Co-chairs Juli Oh and Matthew Browne, and Sarah and David Szekeres invite you to bring your sense of humor (and fun) while you team up and boogie down for the most unique event in San Diego: Bring It! This year our game show–style fundraising event has a disco theme and will take place on May 2, 2019, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
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Catalyst Club
Become part of a special community of Sanford Burnham Prebys supporters by joining our new monthly giving club. You will also receive a beautiful and sleek black Sanford Burnham Prebys Catalyst Club tote bag, perfect for your everyday needs.
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